man, had been sent out from Carthage
by the King several days before with all his horses, numerous wagons,
and many slaves, to carry the sovereign's commands in all directions
through his empire. On his way to the east he had heard of our landing,
and he sought us out with everything he still had in his possession.
All the letters, all the secret messages of the Vandals, are in the
hands of Belisarius--a whole basket of them, which I must read.

It really seems as if an angel of the Lord had led us into the
writing-room and the council hall of the Asdings. Verus, the Archdeacon
of the Arians, dictated most of the letters. But we were thoroughly
deceived in this priest. Theodora believed him to be her tool, yet he
has become Gelimer's chancellor. Strange that these secrets were
intrusted to a Roman for conveyance and protection, not to a Vandal.
Besides, must not Verus have known how near we were, when he sent the
papers, unguarded, directly to us.

True, the most important thing for us to know,--namely, where the King
and his army are at present,--does not appear in these letters, which
were written a week ago. Yet we learn from them at last what induced
him to remain so far from Carthage and the coast, on the edge of the
desert and within it. He has made contracts with many Moorish tribes,
and been promised thousands of foot-soldiers--almost equal in number to
our whole army. These Moorish auxiliaries are gathering in Numidia, in
the plain of Bulla. That is far, far west of Carthage, near the border
of the wilderness. Could the Vandal intend to abandon his capital and
all the tract of country for such a distance, without striking a single
blow, and await us there, at Bulla?

Belisarius--what a trick of chance!--is now sending to Gelimer by the
Vandal mail system Justinian's declaration of war, and despatching in
every direction to the Vandal nobles, army leaders, and officials an
invitation to abandon Gelimer. The summons is well worded (I composed
it myself): "I am not waging war with the Vandals, nor do I break the
compact of perpetual peace concluded with Genseric. We desire only to
overthrow your Tyrant, who has broken the law and imprisoned your
rightful King. Therefore help us! Shake off the yoke of such shameless
despotism, that you may enjoy liberty and the prosperity we are
bringing you. We call upon God to witness our sincerity."

Postscript, added after the close of the war: "Strange, yet it is
certainly